The elf outlaw
by SapphireStormAngel
Summary: Set in the world of witcher 2. Iorveth always hated humans because of what they had done to him and his people. What happens though when a certain sorceress follows him and the witcher Geralt to find out the truth about the king slayer? Willl he let himself fall in love or will past loves and the conspiracy afoot get in their way?
1. Chapter 1-Almost hung

The shouting of a mob was never a pleasant experience for the ears, but today it was much worse. Vensa Toruviel stood to the side of the crowd carefully observing everything that was happening before her. Her small stature allowed her to easily go unnoticed by most, an aspect that had proven itself useful to her over the years. Her forest green eyes were focused on the main attraction place in the centre of the normally pleasant market square. 1 elf, 2 men and a dwarf weren't something that you saw everyday, especially with tight nooses around their necks.

She had been in this town for well over 3 weeks now (though she didn't enjoy it much), and had seen 6 people hanged for jminor crimes like refusing to hand over their goods to the current dictao of the small town, or even preventing a young female elf from being used by the local guards. A town that was once a bustling and happy place, was now replaced by a place filled discrimination and hate of the races. She never interfered with the spectacle hangings knowing that she could not take out all of the guards all on her own, today however was quite different. This time her friend's lives were in danger and she could not let them fall to their death despite the consequences that may fall upon her later.

By now she had considered multiple options of rescue ranging from making the entire city fall asleep to attacking the guards with her knives, but she knew well that none of these methods would work. She had quite a magical prowess but for another time in her life Vensa wished that she learned how to use a bow. It would have been a perfect weapon to use in this situation without revealing her identity, but alas it was not to her lack of foresight she gripped the two daggers tightly readying herself to just go with it instead of planning an attack, when one of the prisoners shouted out a name shaking her out of her haphazard thoughts.

"Geralt!"

Twisting around she noticed a muscular white haired man push his way through the crowd. From the confused look on his face she could tell that he just arrived and quite likely had no idea why two of his friends were about to be hanged. His eyes scanned the crowd looking for answers until they finally rested on her. He seemed to be the only person to be physically able to see her when she didn't want to be seen. Grinning, Vensa waved her hand lightly and called him over to her. He was being followed by two people a man dressed in quite expensive clothing and the witch Triss Merigold, both of whom seemed quite uncomfortable in this setting. Their sight though calmed her down immensely though as she knew that despite Geralt's grumpy attitude and the stupid situations his friends always got into he would never let a friend die.

"What in the world is going on Vensa?

"Dandelion and Zoltan are about to be hanged. You've come just in time. I was about to storm the platform by myself."

"You wouldn't have made it, but that's beside the point. Why are they being hanged?"

"I heard rumors but nothing concrete. You'll have to ask the guard if you want to know everything."

She pointed towards the man that was trying to calm down the crowd. Like most guards here in Flotsam he was quite chubby and had little hair, often making it quite hard to distinguish one among the rest. The only other person on the execution block was the executioner, a man who always pushed the lever signifying the death for those on the block, and who seemed to do it in great pleasure. Neither of the men were reasonable enough to negotiate with him but despite that Geralt still walked up to the guard and started arguing with him about letting Dandelion and Zoltan go. The guard was stubborn though like Vensa predicted and even when the crown stood on Geralt's side he was insistent to hang all of the 'criminals' as they were so called. In fact it only seemed to anger him further especially when one of the town 'companions' told everybody out loud that his privates were shrivelling up. Swinging a punch at Geralt he started the fight, quickly whipping up the crowd into a frenzy. Punches were exchanged and the guard managed to get in some good hits but it was clear that Geralt would win this fight.

The fight was almost over when Vensa noticed the executioner making a move towards the first victim's lever, a young elven woman who belonged to the 'companions'. The lever was pushed and a small screech could be heard as she fell. As if out of instinct, Vensa's arm shot out and the elf stopped falling just before the knot could tighten around her neck. She stayed motionless as the crowd cheered the executioner on, getting even more excited when Geralt ran up to meet him before he could kill anyone else. The unconscious guard and the 'dead elf were now forgotten as everyone's eyes were drawn to the new was at that moment that the elf decided to open her eyes slightly and look around. She looked through the crowd carefully before her eyes settled on Vensa's outstretched arm. Looking up she was surprised to see Vensa, a sorceress no less, keeping her alive. Flotsam was known for it's hatred of the non-humans and sorceresses often joined in the fun. The elf nodded slightly to Vensa in thanks, closing her eyes again once she received an identical reply. She may have been alive now but if anyone noticed that it was so, she wouldn't stay alive for much longer.

"What the **** is going on here? Somebody ******* tell me that!"

Vensa was knocked out of her thought by Bernard Loredo himself, the leader of the city and the main person behind all of the recent executions. Like his guards he was chubby and bald, but he was dressed in much fancier clothing and believed himself to look much handsomer. With him he had at least 10 guards who ran through the square clearing any more members of the crowd that were still left.

"Your men were about to hang innocent people. Dandelion didn't do anything that your men didn't do."

"True maybe for the bard however I hear that you are also defending the dwarf. He's been found to conspire against Flotsam with the criminal Iorveth. I can't allow someone like that to run around free. I'd rather allow this thief to live than him."

During Loredo's monologue he slowly walked up to the platform and up the stairs only to stop in front of a black haired man right next to the elf. Vensa could see her eyes twitching but she stayed as motionless as possible, Loredo would not have any mercy. Speaking of the devil, he smirked at Geralt before kicking the man's lever with as much force as he could. Vensa watched horrified as the man struggled trying to breathe before stiffening. She didn't have enough magic to hold both him and the elf at the same time, the drain from that one continuous spell was already giving her signs. Her legs felt weak and a small rivulet of blood slowly came pouring out of her nose. Despite all that she stayed strong hoping that the conversation wouldn't last much longer otherwise there might be more than just one body.

"I was just kidding, I hate thieves. You may be right about the bard but cases concerning the betrayal of non-humans are not in your are witcher."

"No but they are in mine."

The important looking man that came with Geralt, now came forward giving off a wave of authority which he hid well before. His clothes reminded Vensa of the various merchants that placed themselves around the city but with the way he was speaking to Loredo now, he clearly wasn't one of them. The merchants here were scared of Loredo, especially since everyone heard about his backyard where all of the riches he took from merchants who didn't respect him, lay stored until he had use for them. It made most of the merchants willing to do anything as long as they kept their goods, something this man didn't seem too concerned about.

"And who are you?"

"My name is Vernon Roche."

"The leader of the non-human disciplinatory squad, aka. the blue strips. It's certainly a surprise to see you so far out, but even you can't order me to release a prisoner that has been conspiring with the most dangerous criminal we've had in Flotsam for years."

I saw the elves eyes snap open for a minute as she gazed to Roche in shock but she closed them just as quickly when she noticed the proximity of Loredo and his guards to her location. The blue stripes hunted down many non-humans killing them with such brutality and Iorveth killed humans. It was an endless war between the two and Vensa had no doubt that the news of Roche's arrival would reach Iorveth very quickly. Loredo turned back to Geralt.

"I am willing to make a deal though. You will meet me at my house at midnight and we can talk everything over in a more...comfortable setting. Your friends will be released but the can't leave the town unless I say so, deal?"

"Deal."

Loredo nodded and waved his troops away. The remaining people on the square either quickly dispersed or watched as Loredo and his men returned to his lavish home to drink away their queries. The two unconscious bodies of the guards were dragged away unceremoniously by their peers, no doubt either to be punished or dumped somewhere on the way. Geralt shook his head in annoyance and cut down Dandelion's and Zoltan's ropes. He walked towards the elf readying his sword to cut her down as well. There was nothing that could be done about the thief.

"What are you doing Geralt? There's no point in cutting the elf down. Even you can't help the dead."

"She's not dead yet Zoltan. Just ask Vensa."

Geralt pointed his hand towards Vensa's location, making everyone turn around to see who he was talking to. She probably wasn't a pretty sight, barely standing on her feet with blood pouring out of her nose but her outstretched hand towards the elf told the others everything they needed to know. She tried to wave to them with her free hand but it quickly returned to it's previous position in holding back the blood."You'll introduce us later Geralt. Now please cut her down already. I can't hold her up for much longer."

Geralt nodded before swinging his sword at the elf's rope, while grabbing her by her arm and pulling her up on the platform before the spell could drop her onto the ground. The elf stood on her own to feet though coughing and rubbing her throat. It seemed that the more power Vensa had used, the lower altitude the elf reached. Vensa herself was in a bad shape, and would have collapsed in Roshe hadn't walked up and supported her with his own body. He gave him a slight nod in thanks before looking back towards the now approaching elf. It looked like the elf wanted to say something but Vensa quickly waved her off.

"Don't worry about it, but I suggest that you get out of the city quickly. Most people don't take kindly to dead elves walking around in their city."

"Thank you Dh'oine. Here, take this. Wear it around your neck always and it will make sure that you are always safe."

Placing something metallic in Vensa's hand, the blonde elf bowed before running towards the closest gate behind the execution platform. Luckily for her it didn't seem to have any guards today. Vensa and the other looked down at her hand only to discover that the gift was a small silver necklace. The chain itself was simple enough but a beautifully crafted pendant hung from it depicting a leaf. The leaf like the necklace was made of silver, with one half displaying the interweaving of different silver strands leaving severally carefully placed gaps. The other half of the leaf was split into three parts each depicting a different shade of emerald green. Though it was no doubt a beautiful necklace, it was just a necklace and Vensa did not see how it was meant to protect her and she wasn't the one to think about it like Roche being the non-human police chief seemed quite suspicious of the elf giving Vensa the necklace.

"It looks like a normal common necklace, so how could it protect you? Does it posses magic?"

"No, otherwise Geralt's medallion would have reacted to it."

"She's right. There's no magic on it."

Despite the fact that the necklace seemed useless, Vensa still put it around her neck. The long length of the chain put it directly between her breasts hidden in between the folds of her outfit. Standing on her own two feet but still leaning slightly on Roshe, she smiled at the others and gestured towards the nearby doors.

"Well, now that everything is settled, why don't we talk over in the tavern. It'll be much more comfortable than here near a recently deceased body would it not?"

"The young lady is right. We should go and rest over a pint of good beer, we did have an interesting day after all. Mlady?"

Roshe raised his arm for Vensa which she took gratefully. She was still rather weak from the spell and she needed to conserve her strength if she was going to prove useful to the group. He led her towards the doors with the others following them, with Zoltan and Roshe making jokes about the Scoia'tael leader. Vensa laughed along, but she had no idea how important the leader of the elves would soon become to her.


	2. Chapter 2-The surprise encounter

The group sat down around the weathered, old table and ordered several pints of beer to be brought to them. Dandelion, Zoltan and Roshe sat on one side, while Vensa and Triss opted to take the bench on the other side of the table. Geralt was the only one that was standing but Vensa supposed that it was to allow his pacing, a nasty habit which he often showed when talking about subjects he didn't particularly enjoy.

"Vensa, this is Vernon Roshe the leader of the Blue Stripes and Triss Merigold, the former advisor to king Foltest. You've already met Zoltan and Dandelion. Everybody, this is Vensa. I met her a long time ago and even I don't know everything that she's hiding."

"Introductions aside Geralt, you have some explaining to do. What is this we've been hearing about you murdering Foltest? Tell me that it's only rumours."

"Unfortunately Foltest is really dead but I'm not the one that killed was another witcher there dressed as a blind monk. I didn't realise the truth until it was too late."

"Did you at least catch him?"

"No."

"How in the world did he escape a castle full of soldiers? Even you can't do that without help!"

"He did have help, the Scoia'tael."

"Those ********."

"So he's here then? In Flotsam?"

"Yeah we met him on the way here along with Iorveth, the leader of the Scoia'tael. It seems that the're working together."

"That's not good Geralt. It means they have the whole forest to hide and that thing's massive."

The subject of the conversation was gradually growing darker and darker which seemed to greatly annoy Zoltan. Dwarves were more suited to conversations concerning alcohol and fighting so it wasn't a surprise to anyone that he quickly changed the direction the conversation was going, though in Vensa's opinion he lasted much longer than most dwarves would.

"Now, now gentlemen. There's going to be enough talking about this when the two of you have a chat with Loredo. I came here to drink and relax so let's do just that. Cheers!"

The group responded to Zoltan in turn and drank to the bottom of their glasses. Only Vensa seemed to be holding herself back as it seemed that even Triss was taking sips from her own drink. It was clear to see that her lack of drinking surprised the others gathered around the table.

"Why aren't you drinking lass? Was it something I said?"

"No, nothing like that. I have a low tolerance for alcohol and I would prefer not to make myself look like a fool in front of the entire village. Besides I had a tiring day, and I need to rest. I'll see you later. Oh and Geralt?"

"Yeah?"

"If you're looking for some extra work, there's a notice board outside the doors. There should be one or two tasks on there to keep you busy while you investigate the kingslayer."

"I'll think about it."

Smirking slightly at the witcher's lazy attitude she made her way outside the tavern and up the stairs outside to the second floor. Her room was the first of the three and she had to admit that it was very suited to her needs. The room itself was spacious and had plenty of space to store her belongings ranging from the stacks of books she brought to the daggers and staff she carried with her. Putting them away in the bedside chest, Vensa collapsed on the dark green silk sheets. They were originally bright pink but that kind of colour only hurt the eyes. Thinking about the day's events she decided that she would explore the forest tomorrow. She had been here for three weeks after all and hadn't set foot in it once. It was about time to do just that.

When Vensa woke up it was barely day break. Most of the town's citizens were still asleep and even the local birds were unwilling to wake up yet. It was the perfect time though to go exploring. No one would question her as to where she was going or even see her which would prove useful when confronting Geralt. She was more that capable of taking care of herself but he often seemed almost overprotective, like an older brother.

Walking outside, Vensa stretched before heading towards the same gate the elf used to escape the city yesterday. It was the furthest away from her goal but it would ensure that she remained unseen. Her target was the fabled elf rose garden that was rumoured to grow somewhere in this forest. She was after the rose of remembrance or more specifically it's seeds. She had hoped to settle down one day and buy a house far away from all the conflict in this world. Her bloodline ensured that she would live much longer than any normal human would, and growing the rarest rose would be an interesting task to accomplish. So far only elves managed to cultivate it and she wanted to see if she could complete a deed like that as well.

She made her way through the forest, enjoying the feeling of the cool wind on her face. Everything around her was just waking up, and even the trees still seemed sleepy. Using the rough directions she received she traveled the little used paths, constantly being out on the lookout for the massive array of monsters that the locals warned her about. Not a single glance of anything even remotely hostile could be seen though, a fact quite surprising to Vensa. She suspected however that it was all because of the presence that had been following her for some time now. She couldn't quite sense what it was that was following her, but there was definitely something there. Normally she would have insisted that the presence revealed itself, but she was perfectly happy with a road empty of monsters so she let it be for now. It wasn't doing any harm.

Eventually she reached a waterfall, tons of sparkling water cascading down and creating a flurry of beautiful colours. It almost made her want to submerge herself in the water, but she knew that the chances of her coming back out of it would be slim to none. A small, almost unnoticeable path up the side of the waterfall and high into the cliff above. It was marked with an enormous stone, portraying a green god like creature guarding it. It looked just as the villagers described it, though none of them knew what dangers lay further on. It was just too dangerous for them to wander up there. Vensa turned to the path and walked towards the stone monument, touching it for a single moment. It was one of the rare remaining pieces of what was once a proud elvish town, now only reduced to rubble. She stepped onto the path and was about to follow it when two things stopped her. The first was the presence that was following her since the beginning of the forest. It had now seemed to grow in hostility the closest she got to her chosen path, and she had no doubt in her mind that it would attack if she went any further.

The second thing was a slight whine that echoed off the ancient trees. The whine couldn't have either come from a monster or a human, but sounded rather like an animal. Vensa's curiosity got the better of her and with one last look at the hidden path, she followed the soft whine. She pushed through the scraggly bushes and walked around the giant trees looking for the source of the sound, all while being very aware that the presence behind her still refused to leave. Reaching a small, dark clearing within the woods, she looked around yet nothing seemed to stand out to her. It was only a moment later that a flash of white caught her attention in the far side of the clearing. Looking closer she noticed that the flash of white was a small white wolf cub, not a normal colour for this type of animal. Wolves were generally cautious creatures that ran in packs, but it seems that the prospect of warmth and food overcame the natural instincts of

this certain cub. Sensing someone's presence in it's hiding spot, the cub sniffed the air before stumbling towards Vensa yipping softly. The cub only managed to walk a couple of steps before collapsing into the tall grass. It was clearly very weak.

Walking towards the cub, Vensa knelt and picked it up. The new source of warmth and security quieted down the soft yips as the wolf cuddled up to her breast. She stood up slowly as to not startle the small creature in her arms and started making her way back to the town of Flotsam. The roses could wait while the cub could not. It would not survive the next couple of hours alone judging from it's condition, and she wasn't about to leave a defenceless creature all alone in the forest. Besides, she couldn't wait to see Geralt's reaction when he saw the little cub.

Iorveth pulled back his bow as he watched the woman make her way back towards the town walls. He was following her from the start, the Scoia'tael spies in the city warning him of the very place she was searching for. The rose garden was a deeply historical and sacred place for his kind and he wasn't about to let her touch it, not even considering taking the rose's seeds. It didn't help that one of the Scoia'tael's hiding spots was behind the waterfall, mere steps from where she was just moments ago.

His arrow was pulled back ready to strike her heart, swiftly enough to disable any possibility of protective spells, but he was interrupted by a small whine. He could immediately tell that it was a wolf cub. A she-wolf had given birth a couple of days ago and he assumed that it was one of her cubs, but he couldn't risk the woman carrying on while he looked for it. Luckily for him though, the small whine seemed to distract her enough for her to change the course of her path and head in that direction instead. He watched as she looked for the cub and cuddled it to her full breasts. Most humans would have either killed the cub or only see profit in it's fur, although her train of thoughts seemed to be very different. She truly seemed to care for the cub and the forest around her and everything around her seemed to be able to sense it. It was like she naturally belonged in it, an aspect that he had only seen in elves before.

This was only further proved by the way she maneuvered herself within the green foliage. Somehow she had managed to instinctively avoid every single monster that stood in her path, and he doubted that she was even aware that she was doing it. A sorceress that looked human and yet acted like an elf. It was quite puzzling to say the least, especially since she seemed to be in the company of the famous witcher Geralt the white wolf, not someone you meet often. Shaking the thoughts out of his head, Iorveth threw one last look at the retreating figure before making his way back to his men. It didn't matter how the woman behaved or how beautiful she may have looked. The next time she would enter the forest, he wouldn't hesitate to puncture her with his arrows.


	3. Chapter 3-Avis

Vensa laid comfortably on her bed reading a book on magical plants and their properties. She already possessed a lot of the knowledge that was written in this volume, however she would soon be traveling with the others and a knowledge of what plants aid you or contain poison in regions unknown to her, could become useful. Besides she was bored and there was nothing much to do since everyone she knew would probably be still asleep, especially Geralt since Loredo requested him exactly at midnight. Why he couldn't pick a more suitable hour, Vensa could tell but she knew that no-one argued with that man if they wanted to be left in stayed like that for several hours, silently listening as the streets outside woke up and started bustling with life.

The cub lay snugly in her lap fast asleep. It didn't take long but Vera made sure that he had at least some food in his stomach before it happened. It was a male after all as Vera noticed when she was checking him for any injuries that he may have suffered. The more time she spent with him the more similarities she could see between him and Geralt. Both had white hair, golden eyes, a grouchy attitude when woken, and seemed very happy to snuggle into a woman's lap, though she had an inkling that Geralt wouldn't agree with her on those last two. She had been trying to find a name for him but so far came up empty. Names like Fang or Ivory were immediately rejected and although she would find it indescribably amusing it it were called Geralt, it's namesake wouldn't be as happy.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a heavy hammering on her bedroom door, starling the cub awake. He yipped in fear at the unknown sound but calmed down when he saw that it wasn't a threat to Vensa. She yawned and stood up placing the cub gently on her bed before walking towards the door. She had an inkling as to who was behind it and that suspicion soon became reality when she saw Geralt standing on the other side of the door, his hand raised to knock again. His hand dropped to his waist as he saw her, and Vensa noticed that he was unusually alert and fully dressed, something that only happened this time of the day if he had something important to do.

"You're up early."

"I was up with the sun Geralt. I was exploring the forest."

"Anything interesting?"

"Not a single monster in sight."

"Really? What about that rose garden that you were so desperate to see? Did you find it?"

"No, I got distracted."

"By what? I thought you said that there weren't any monsters."

"There weren't."

Geralt looked at her strangely but soon realised that he wasn't going to get anything out of her anytime soon if she didn't want to reveal it so he just decided to let it go. Like with most women, it was almost impossible to win an argument with Vensa and he wasn't even going to try and attempt to do so having experienced a loss before. It was humiliating not to even mention downgrading of someone who faced so many monsters and men only to be stopped by Vensa but that was just the way she was.

"Anyway, I just wanted to tell you that we're going to be discussing everything downstairs including a talk with Loredo. You've been here awhile, you could be able to help us."

"Ok, I'll be there in a couple of minutes, just let me sort everything out."

Geralt nodded before making his way back downstairs towards the tavern. Closing the door Vensa picked up the book she was reading and placed it back in the wooden chest beside her bed. Reaching down she picked up her small travel bag and put it on making sure that everything she needed was inside. The wolf cub was watching her intensly the entire time as if sensing that she was leaving and started yipping pathetically the moment she got close to the door again.

"Hey it's ok. I'll just be gone for a short while before coming back for you ok?"

She petted the wolf as she said that but the yipping only started back up again the moment she stood up and gradually getting louder in volume. It seemed that it's abandonment in the forest by his mother caused him to have an issue with being left alone again. She was his new mother and he wasn't about to let her go like his first one. After a few minutes of trying to calm the wolf again, Vensa eventually gave up and gathered him into her arms. She could have used a sleeping charm however the wolf put his trust in her and she would suffer tremendous guilt by using it against him. She could have sworn that the wolf smirked slightly as she cuddled him but it was gone as quickly as it appeared and she blamed it on the light in the room. Walking out of her small bedroom, Vensa closed the doors and made her way downstairs, getting strange looks from the men standing around and the 'companions' they were after but she ignored them. Walking into the tavern, she quickly located her friends and made her way towards them. They seemed to have favourited that seat for some reason as it was the same one they sat on last night. Roshe was the first to notice her and he gallantly moved up the seat to make place for her to sit. She smiled at him gratefully.

"Morning everyone!"

"Morning lass! You seem in a cheery mood today. Did something good happen yesterday?"

"Yes, it did."

"An would it perhaps have something to do with what ever it is that you are carrying?"

"What is it?"

Vensa smiled at the men's questioning before lowering the cub out of her arms and onto the old withered table they sat around. The group stared at him in bewilderment as to how a cub managed to end up in a tavern, and the wolf stared back with and equally curious gaze. He didn't explore though preferring rather to press back into Vensa looking for safety from the large individuals before him. Gerallt was the first one to break the silence.

"So that's what you meant by a distraction. And here I thought that you finally found yourself a man."

"Keep dreaming Geralt. I found him in a small clearing when I was exploring the forest this morning. He must have been abandoned by his mother, as he was very hungry and scared."

"He's certainly a surprise. Did you come up with a name for him yet?"

"Not yet, Roshe. I was thinking up on some in my room but none of them fit. I was even considering calling him Geralt but…"

"Don't you dare."

"I'd figured you'd say that."

"Well we have to call him something. I can't just call him the wolf when I'll sing of your adventures."

"How about Iron Fist? That's a strong name for a strong creature."

"Don't be a fool Zoltan, what kind of name is Iron Fist? A name for a hammer maybe but not a living creature. How about Medell he was a strong king."

"Get your patriotic **** out of this place Roshe. What kind of person names an animal after some king."

"Well have you got any better ideas?"

"How about Avis?"

Triss interrupted the conversation for the first time that day. Vensa didn't particularly like the woman for numerous reasons however she did have to admit that her suggestion wasn't half bad. It was certainly the best suggestion said so far and Vensa wasn't going to just throw it away due to the fact that they weren't' friends. Zoltan wasn't as convinced though.

"Doesn't that mean bird? He looks nothing like one."

"That may be true but I like it. Most witches do have a bird companion after all don't they? I'll be ironic in a way, I'll still have a bird with me just not like the ones they have. How about it, Avis?"

Vensa spoke to the cub who seemed to understand every word that she was saying. He certainly understood the question as he answered with several pleased sounding yelps before exploring the table heading towards Geralt. Geralt reached his hand out and Avis approached it slowly, sniffing it first before cuddling into it. He was so much like a cat in that aspect, he absolutely loved being scratched and stroked. Geralt seemed equally pleased no matter how he tried to hide it. Getting the trust of such an animal so quickly was surprising especially since Avis still seemed slightly unsure whether to approach the other people surrounding him.

"He's certainly a fine beast, no one can argue with that. Where did you find him?"

"Close to a waterfall to the South of the town in some shrubbery. he seemed to have been here for a couple of days since he already had his eyes opened."

"You managed to get all the way to the waterfall and back without even a scratch on you? that place is crawling with monsters and the squirrels. I knew you were good but not that good."

"That's the thing though. The entire forest seemed empty of anything that would attack me. I traveled in the open and I didn't even catch a glimpse of all the monsters you told me about."

"And the scoia'tael?"

"No, none of them either. Just Avis."

Roshe sighed in disappointment. He already knew the Scoia'tael were in the woods due to the various reports and his own meeting with their leader, however it only seemed to propel him further into capturing him. A trait that he unfortunately shared with Loredo. Vensa herself was in the middle of the entire conflict trying to stay neutral. She understood why Roshe was so desperate to capture Iorveth, the man massacred dozens of people over the centuries, however humans weren't as innocent as they made themselves out to be either. She could safely say that she was neither and that the argument didn't affect her, but Roshe had been so nice over the last few days and she didn't want to disappoint him further.

"There was however someone following me."

"Really? Who?"

"I haven't got a clue. Whoever it was they kept their distance and only seemed to be observing me. That's not something any monster I know would do, so it had to be someone else most likely Scoia'tael since they are the only ones that can move so well in the forest."

"Very true."

"But enough about me Geralt, what about you? Did you reach a deal with that slimeball?"

"Yeah unfortunately. Zoltan and dandelion can live for now, but they can't leave the town until I defeat Keyran, some sea monster that's been terrorising this town."

"You don't mean the one that blocked up the port and is attacking the ships do you?"

"Yeah that's the one. Why, do you know anything?"

"Geralt, that thing is big even for you."

"I agree with the lass, you don't know what you're getting yourself into."

"I've got no choice. Letho is bound to leave Flotsam soon now that he knows that we followed him here and if we don't manage to get him soon we may never be able to find him again. I can't leave you two here to die when I leave so the monster is the only way out of this. Now, do any of you know where I can find it?"

Before any of them could answer, the tavern shook and screams erupted from the outside where the dock was located. The screams and shouts were quickly followed by a bellowing roar that caused another tremor within the building that seemed so safe just a moment ago. The members of the group glance at each other before following Geralt who was the first to stand up and run to the wooden doors. Vensa picked up the cub and followed them, only stopping when she saw the sight before her.

"Well, it looks like the monster found us."


	4. Chapter 4-Keyran

Vensa watched as the dock was hammered over and over again with four giant tentacles. Each has hundreds of suckers lining it till the end in a dark purple colour, and a greenish looking slimy ooze that seemed to stick to anything that it touched. The fishermen were frantically running around to find a suitable hiding place from the creature. Most of them managed to make it except a young boy no older than his eighteenth year. One of the tentacles grabbed him and picked him up only to shake him in a fury. It was painfully clear to anyone that was watching that the boy's movements suddenly stopped and he remained motionless. Geralt reached for his silver sword but before he managed to fully draw it from its sheath, several spells were cast from their right forcing the monster to drop the boy onto the deck and retreat into the murky waters. The witch was dressed in all black with a very formal looking headgear, and a pleased look on her face. The damage was already done though. They boy lay unfailingly sprawled on the deck and the frightened citizens were beginning to gather around him in order to figure out what was wrong. The outlet for their rage seemed to have become the witch as their accusing eyes seemed all too pleased at the prospect of her death. luckily for her, she seemed to know a lot about the monster she just sent off and was just as interested in getting rid of him which was just what Geralt needed.

"What's going on here?"

"I'll tell you what! This witch was supposed to protect us from the beast and get rid of it and she does nothing. Look at the state it left one of my men in!"

"What's the problem? Everyone's still alive after all aren't they?"

"Shut the **** up witch. I bet it was you that summoned the monster here in the first place!"

"We should get rid of her!"

"Yeah! make her pay!"

"Everyone calm down, fighting won't help us now and I need her if you ever want to see that monster dead got it? Good, Vensa could you take a closer look at the boy? I'll talk to her."

"I'm fine with that."

While Geralt walked towards the new witch, Vensa approached the motionless boy on the ground. She could see Triss following Geralt slowly but she paid no attention to it. If she became a problem then Geralt was more than capable of taking care of her. her main concern right now was the boy, and she needed to do all she could otherwise the villagers surrounding them could turn on her just as easily as they did on the witch mere moments ago. Checking his vitals she noted that they substantially slowed down but at least they were still there. There was slight marks remaining from the green slime on his clothes but only traces, not enough to figure out what it was. Instead she performed a simple diagnosis spell looking at the boy's vitals directly. There was nothing specific but her initial assessment was correct, something was preventing him from moving. fortunately it seemed a rather quick poison so it should be discarded from him body just as quickly. It did mean though that Geralt would have a much harder time fighting the monster than they originally thought. She stood up and the crowd looked at her expectantly.

"He'll be fine. It seems like the monster can paralyze him victims with that green slime so be careful not to touch it. It should wear off in about an hour, maybe a little more."

"And what if it doesn't?"

"Then come and find me."

The med stared at her for a minute as if measuring her up before nodding, seemingly deciding to trust her for this moment. The picked up the boy and carried him slowly towards the poorer housing district in Flotsam likely to find him a place to rest. She turned around and watched for a couple of minutes as Geralt argued with the stranger, tensions rising even further when Triss approached them. Vensa could see how white Triss went at the sight of the witch, and it was very easy to tell that they knew each other but she couldn't work out how. By this time only she and Avis remained on the dock with the arguing trio, as everyone managed to already disperse, their companions no doubt returning to the tavern to finish their pints of beer. Avis climbed up to her face and licked her as if reminding her that she wasn't alone, before snuggling into her arms. They stayed like that for a couple of minutes waiting, until the new witch finally left. Vensa approached them, eying Triss with suspicion. She was still very pale.

"Who was that?"

"Shela de Tancarville, the witch I saw at Loredo's before I had a chance to talk to him. Apparently she'll be my new partner in eliminating that monster we just had the pleasure of seeing."

"Did she say why she is doing it?"

"Unfortunately not."

"Well then, she doesn't seem too friendly does she?"

"She isn't."

Vera and Geralt's gazes were back on Triss watching in surprise as she stormed away back to her room in the tavern. There was definitely something with her and it all seemed to be linked to this Shela.

"Did something happen?"

"Not here but it looks to me like the two of them had already been acquainted with each other before. We should give some time to cool off, but in the mean time I need to find an elf called Cedric. Shela said that he knows the most about this monster in the entire town. Know where I can find him?"

"Yeah. He spends most of his time in the outpost near the back gate. he's a nice guy and knows everything that goes around here. There's something else that you should know though. That green slime the Keyran is covered in, it's some sort of paralysis poison. You won't be able to fight it if you can't move. You should talk to Triss when she cools off, and take her down to examine it. there was too little left here for me to do it."

"I will. What about you? What are you going to do now?"

"I don't plan on putting myself before a giant monster like that again so I was thinking to visit the forest again.I never did find that rose of remembrance and at this moment that's as far as I'm going to get away from the water."

"Be careful then."

"I'm always careful."

Geralt gave Vensa a small smile before bringing her close to his chest in a hug. He missed her through the years that they haven't heard from each other. He may have lost a good chunk of his memory but he could never forget Vensa. Patting her back he pulled away from her and walked towards the back gate where Cedric would no doubt be, guarding the post for danger. Vensa watched him with a smile on his face. It was clear to her that he missed her, but that his manly pride wouldn't allow him to word it. Picking up Avis she looked at him critically. She was planning on going back to the forest but she had no idea as to what to do with him. She couldn't leave him in her room, he wouldn't allow her, and carrying him in her arms would not only be tiring but dangerous if she were to be attacked.

"You're so much trouble aren't you?"

A small, soft whine was all that she got in reply. Avis clearly couldn't tell her what to do and she herself was out of ideas. Shifting to hold him closer she felt something slide against her right hip. Looking down she noticed the small leather bag that she always carried with her. It was old but still sturdy, besides it was a present and she would never dispose of it even if it was riddled with holes. It was small enough for her to easily carry everything she needed in it but maybe if she removed something…. The cub fit into her bag and settled comfortably on top of her many potions and medical supplies. Avis was not situated in a comfortable spot for the both of them but that still left the twin double-edged daggers that Vensa had in her had. She couldn't put them back in the bag but at the same time she had no holsters at her waist to hold them either. Grumbling, Vensa placed them in her brown boots. It wouldn't be as comfortable but at least they were within easy reach and nowhere near to hurt Avis.

Finally being able to freely walk again, Vensa made her way back through the town and out of the main gate into the darkly wooded forest. The forest itself seemed much calmer with the sunlight streaming through it's leaves and the melodious chirping of the various birds that inhabited it. Glimpses of deer and other smaller animals could be caught, trotting around the shrubbery as if there was no danger. Indeed like this morning there wasn't a single monster in Vensa's path, just several bear traps, no doubt set by the local hunters. The presence that had followed her this morning was also gone and she relaxed fully.

She reached her destination much quicker than before, now knowing the quickest path to it. The water was clear and lightly reflected sunlight, as if every single drop was a single diamond. Small silvery fish could be seen swimming around the mass of water, showing signs of peace and calmness like all the other animals. Vensa had an undeniable urge to strip herself of her suddenly strafing clothing and immerse herself within the cool, mirror like liquid. She pressed down the urge though slightly shaking her head. Despite the fact that she hadn't seen a single one, monsters still teemed the forest and she didn't want to be caught unaware by a drowner or something else. Another motivation was the other residents of the forest, the Scoia'tael. She liked the thought of stranger men looking at her body far less than being drowned. She was never one to show off her body and sleep around and she wasn't about to start if she had a choice in the matter.

Tearing her gaze away from the waterfall she headed up the hill beside it, passing the enormous pillar guarding it. The path was clean simple to follow at first, but soon the first rocks and branches started appearing slowing down her journey. Eventually she was forced to climb up small rock face in an attempt to get higher while lugging her bag behind her. The small barks originating from it told her that Avis didn't enjoy being tossed and dragged around like that, but there was nothing she could do about it at the moment. While climbing over the 5 rock face of her journey, Vensa pondered how lucky she was not to have to wear a dress like most women were expected to. She doubted that she would make it through the forest in one not even mentioning the current obstacle she was attempting to pass. her thoughts were soon stopped as she noticed that she reached the same flat path as below leading into a small green clearing. It weaved between two lightly damaged marble walls, overgrown with lush rose plants bringing in outstanding colours to the darkness around her. A snow white marble arch acted as a gate welcoming travelers into the small respite, the designs of the curls and waves displaying excellent craftsmanship.

Vensa made her way below the arch and her breath was knocked straight out of her lungs in wonderment. If she didn't know better she would have thought that she was in the middle of some sort of fantasy novel. A stunning marble statue proudly adorned the centre of the small clearing. It showed a man and a woman tangled in a loving embrace, their lips mere inches away from each other's. The care and attention put into the small details on the statue led vensa to believe that it could only be elvish work. Only the elves could carve a pair of statues so well that you could visibly see the love they had for each other in their eyes. It was surrounded by numerous rose bushes with a seemingly unlimited amount of blood red roses, giving it the appearance of a satin bed the couple rested on. A single rose bush clearly stood out from the others directly before the statue, contrasting their beauty with it's own. Only one bud grew upon it, presenting itself in a startling white colour that could have made Avis look like a glob of mud. Not being able to help herself vensa reached out yearning to experience the satin feel of the luxurious petals of her fingertips. Her lack of attention was a high price to pay though, as Avis growled at the presence that stood directly behind her. Startled, she spun around trying to discern the situation, only to be rewarded with a firm hit to the back of the head. Before she gave herself to the dark abyss she saw a man dressed in dark green leaning over her and the soft barks of Avis while falling to the lush grass below her, the gifted necklace gently falling from where it was hidden among her clothes.


End file.
